Water filter assemblies are commonly used with a variety of consumer and commercial appliances to remove dirt, sediment, and other contaminants from unfiltered water sources such as, for example, municipal water supplies. These water filter systems typically receive unfiltered water through a filter inlet, filter the unfiltered water by passing it through filter media to remove contaminants and debris, and pass the filtered water out through a filter outlet to the appliance for end use.
For example, single serve beverage dispensers (SSBDs), including coffee maker appliances, utilize water for brewing and mixing operations. In order to provide single-serve beverages, SSBDs generally dispense small volumes of liquid (e.g., between eight and sixteen ounces) for each beverage. To permit consecutive preparation of beverages and decrease preparation time, certain SSBDs commonly include a removable water storage reservoir holding enough water to dispense between four and eight single-serve beverages. It is generally desirable to ensure that water stored in the reservoir is free from contaminants and other debris.
Certain water filter assemblies include a filter cartridge that is placed over a fluid outlet within the reservoir to filter contaminants from the water within the reservoir. The filter cartridge may include filter media, such as an activated carbon block, a pleated polymer sheet, a spun cord material, or a melt blown material. The filter media is positioned within the filter cartridge and filters water passing therethrough. For example, a block of activated carbon has pores that permit a flow of water through the block. By passing through the pores, contaminants such as sand, rust, and cysts within the flow of water can be mechanically filtered out of the water. Similarly, volatile organic compounds such as chloroform, lindane, and atrazine can be adsorbed into pore surfaces as water moves through the carbon block.
Over time, the filter media will lose effectiveness. For example, pores of the filter media can become clogged or the filter media can become saturated with contaminants. To ensure that the filter media has not exceeded its filtering capacity and proper operation of the SSBD is maintained, the filter media is preferably replaced or serviced at regular intervals regardless of its current performance. To permit replacement or servicing of the filter media, the filter cartridge is generally removably mounted to a fitting within the reservoir. The filter cartridge may be removed from the fitting and the reservoir and replaced by a replacement filter cartridge (which may be a separate filter cartridge or the same filter cartridge after cleaning or otherwise servicing).
It is important that the proper water filter cartridge be used with a given appliance. For example, if the wrong filter cartridge is used, leakage, insufficient filtration, or system blockage may occur. Similarly, if a filter cartridge is improperly installed, leakage or malfunctioning can occur. To prevent installation of an incompatible filter cartridge, water filtration systems typically have a reservoir fitting that only accepts compatible filter cartridges. More specifically, the reservoir fitting may have mounting features, e.g., keyed surfaces, which prevent installation of incompatible filter cartridges. However, such features may unnecessarily restrict the types of filters that may be used with a given appliance. For example, Keurig® 1.0 and Keurig® 2.0 coffee makers have keyed surfaces which require different filter cartridges to be used for each, but the filter media and cartridge performance and operation is otherwise the same.
Accordingly, a universal water filter assembly that can be used with multiple coffee makers having different keyed features would be useful. More particularly, a universal water filter assembly that may be used in both Keurig® 1.0 and 2.0 coffee makers with easier installation and reduced likelihood of leaks would be especially beneficial.